Automated Analysis of Smiling Mimicry Across the Psychosis-Risk Continuum

IF 2.3 4区医学 Q3 PSYCHIATRY

Early Intervention in Psychiatry Pub Date : 2026-10-04 DOI:10.1111/eip.70272

M. Parisi, J. Lozano-Goupil, C. Bertrand, L. Marin, S. Raffard, J. Gold, J. Waltz, J. Schiffman, L. M. Ellman, G. Strauss, E. Walker, S. Woods, A. R. Powers, J. Kenney, P. Corlett, S. Silverstein, V. A. Mittal

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

Early identification and support for individuals with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are essential for timely intervention and improved outcomes. Emotional mimicry, which refers to the automatic imitation of another person's emotional expression, such as a smile, is a fundamental social process that supports smooth interpersonal interaction and is known to be impaired in schizophrenia. However, its role across the broader psychosis-risk continuum remains unclear. This study examined smiling mimicry (the emotional mimicry of smiling) in individuals with PLEs and explored its relationship with key negative symptoms. Secondary analyses explored whether such patterns were particularly characteristic of a clinical high-risk (CHR) subgroup.

Method

A total of 102 participants were categorised into a PLE group (n = 75) or a healthy control group (HCs; n = 27) using structured clinical interviews. Within the PLE group, a subset met CHR criteria (n = 41). Negative symptoms were assessed using the Negative Symptom Inventory—Psychosis Risk (NSI-PR). Zoom recordings from clinical assessments were analyzed using FaceReader, an automated facial expression analysis tool.

Results

Primary analyses showed no overall group differences between PLE and HC participants in smiling mimicry. However, within the PLE group, mimicry was significantly negatively associated with blunted affect (r = −0.36, p = 0.002). In secondary analyses, CHR participants did not differ from HCs in smiling mimicry.

Discussion

These findings highlight the value of automated facial analysis for detecting subtle interpersonal deficits and suggest that reduced smiling mimicry is specifically linked to blunted affect across the psychosis-risk spectrum, with implications for early identification and intervention.

查看原文本刊更多论文

跨越精神病风险连续体的微笑模仿的自动分析。

目的：早期识别和支持具有精神样经历（ple）的个体是及时干预和改善结果的必要条件。情绪模仿指的是自动模仿他人的情绪表达，如微笑，这是一个基本的社会过程，支持顺利的人际交往，已知在精神分裂症中受损。然而，它在更广泛的精神病风险连续体中的作用仍不清楚。本研究考察了ple患者的微笑模仿（微笑的情绪模仿），并探讨了其与主要阴性症状的关系。二次分析探讨了这种模式是否特别具有临床高危（CHR）亚组的特征。方法：采用结构化临床访谈将102名参与者分为PLE组（n = 75）和健康对照组（hc; n = 27）。在PLE组中，有一个子集符合CHR标准（n = 41）。阴性症状采用阴性症状量表-精神病风险量表（NSI-PR）进行评估。使用FaceReader（一种自动面部表情分析工具）分析临床评估的缩放记录。结果：初步分析显示，PLE和HC参与者在微笑模仿方面没有整体组间差异。然而，在PLE组中，模仿与钝化情绪呈显著负相关（r = -0.36, p = 0.002）。在二次分析中，CHR参与者与hc参与者在微笑模仿方面没有差异。讨论：这些发现强调了自动面部分析在检测微妙的人际缺陷方面的价值，并表明微笑模仿的减少与精神病风险谱上的迟钝情绪有特殊的联系，这意味着早期识别和干预。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Early Intervention in Psychiatry 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

4.80

自引率

5.00%

发文量

112

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Early Intervention in Psychiatry publishes original research articles and reviews dealing with the early recognition, diagnosis and treatment across the full range of mental and substance use disorders, as well as the underlying epidemiological, biological, psychological and social mechanisms that influence the onset and early course of these disorders. The journal provides comprehensive coverage of early intervention for the full range of psychiatric disorders and mental health problems, including schizophrenia and other psychoses, mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders and personality disorders. Papers in any of the following fields are considered: diagnostic issues, psychopathology, clinical epidemiology, biological mechanisms, treatments and other forms of intervention, clinical trials, health services and economic research and mental health policy. Special features are also published, including hypotheses, controversies and snapshots of innovative service models.